Curivari is a cigar that I take credit for single handedly bringing to the attention of the market in the area where I live. In 2011 I found these beauties by accident while wandering around a New Orleans brick and mortar (also the place I found EloGio) and I brought them home and shared the wealth. The clamoring for the smokes led to some local B&M's carrying them, and for that they have me to thank. At least that is what I say, see most of the B&M's around here are very good and the proprietors are very astute so they probably would have ended up with these in stock anyway, besides no one ever listens to me anyway.
This cigar is the newer maduro version of the blend. When I saw this I was excited. My reaction was appropriately Pavlovian; drooling, rapid and excited respiration, the desire to make my master happy (I don't even know my master, but I'm pretty sure it is some sort of cigar). All of these things were happening and I had only just lain eyes on them. My hands were nearly shaking as I made my selections, if this is what learned behavior is I'm glad I have it for cigars and not for something without pleasure like bamboo shoots under the finger nails, or no cigars. My proprietor friend just smiled knowingly at me, like the corner crack dealer, I could see the dollar signs in his eyes. He moved closer, trying not to startle me, and suggested that they might not be around long. Ordinarily I look at this as a sales ploy, but I know this guy moves unique and rare product so he was telling me the truth. Instinct kicked in and I felt like a Bear getting ready to bed down for winter, I had to have them and I had to have many of them.
The cigar presents simply and elegantly with same band as the prior blend. As a note, it would be easy to confuse this band with RyJ or Partagas at a distance, don't make that mistake give a close inspection. On second thought, just assume they are either RyJ or Partagas and move on so I can move in for the score. That's right, I am a greedy, cigar grubbing bastard and I can't smoke them all if you get some. The wrapper on these babies is a traditional maduro, not oiled or cooked or treated to look darker than they are, just a nice plain and natural maduro the color of medium brewed coffee. There are some veins, but they add to the character of the appearance. The construction is wonderful, the cigar has just the right amount of tension in the bunch and I can't find an issue anywhere along the parejo. The pre light aroma is of pepper and coffee. The pre light draw shows cocoa and pepper flavors that are a true delight.
The cigar opens with a profile that has miles and miles of depth and complexity. The core flavors are coffee and light pepper, but there are tantalizing hints of dark wood here that add a subtle undertone to the whole experience that is nuanced and balanced. At the back of the palate and through the nose there a sweet earthy tone that one would expect from a maduro, but there are also some satisfying salty tones here that border on being meaty. This is a wonderful open to a cigar. The burn is a touch wonky at the start, but it is evening out as I progress so I am not worried. The draw is an absolute dream, plenty of smoke with very little effort is just what the doctor ordered.
The first half of the cigar picks up in strength as it progresses and this is a nice change from the standard blend of this cigar. The standard blend is excellent in it's own right, but this experience is more profound at this point in the smoke. The core profile shows some robust pepper tones and the coffee flavors have become more bold, there is some nicotine tingle coming in here as well which ramps up the strength quotient. The back of the palate continues to impress me as the earthy flavors intensify and the dark wood notes become more and more prominent. The burn has evened out beautifully and the draw is still an absolute dream.
The final half of this cigar is what cigar smoking is all about. I view each portion of a cigar as an experience, and this is an adventure of epic proportions. The core profile blasts away with monumental salvos of pepper, but there are notes of cocoa, coffee and cream that add a majestic subtlety to the profile. The back of the palate shows wonderful notes of dark wood and earth, but there is a raisin like quality on the finish that is taking this to a new level. I have never experienced this particular flavor in this way as it would usually be overwhelmed by such robust flavors of wood and earth, but it is there and it is wonderful. The burn is solid all the way to the end and the draw was flawless throughout.
The finish was smooth and long and had notes of pepper, earth and raisin.
This cigar is one of the finest I have smoked in awhile and if you can find them get some, or tell me where they are so I can buy them all.
Appearance- 93 a nice looking smoke that could be mistaken for an inferior brand due to the band
Taste- 96 a classic profile for me, so much flavor and balance and strength
Construction- 91 some points off for early burn problems, but the rest was excellent
Strength- 94 a wonderful medium turning full as the cigar progresses
Overall- 93.5 an excellent smoke
Monday, January 28, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Padilla Reserva Habano Toro (5.7x50)
Is there anything in the world that is worse than the flu? This is a legitimate question as I have just recovered from having it and it nagged and lingered for ten days. I posit that there is probably not anything worse, it is just a miserable experience for everyone involved. The person that has it is useless. The wife is frustrated. The kids are anxious and wanting to play. No one is happy. Particularly me, since I can't smoke during my self imposed incubation period.
What does any of this have to do with a cigar you may ask? Well it is two fold. First, I couldn't really smoke so there were no reviews happening for the better part of two weeks. I don't know how you all made it without my charming and witty verbal jousts to occupy your down time. Second, I threw out the question because it sets up this review so well.
The cigar in question is a reincarnation of the old Padilla Habano (if you have not smoked one you really should, they are fantastic) so I was excited to smoke this cigar. I have long been a devotee of several old Padilla blends, particularly those made by Pepin. Even some of the post Pepin blends have been first rate so I was doubly interested to smoke this new offering to see what Padilla is doing now. The smoke presents well, but it is a little bit too dry to the touch, this concerns me because dry cigars often smoke hot and bitter. The wrapper has some prominent veins, but I don't think they will cause any issues. An examination of the cigar has me concerned about a loose bunch, but I will soldier on as I always do. The pre light aroma was full of sharp wood notes with a touch of musty basement. The pre light draw was shallow and had cedar and bitter earth tones.
The cigar opens with a profile that immediately answers my question from above. Could there be anything worse than the flu? The resounding answer is yes, smoking this cigar could be worse. The core profile is bitter and and has some notes of crushed aspirin with some sour and tart wheat notes. The back of the palate and the nose show some dry wood flavors with a cedar sharpness that is off putting and funky. The draw is way too loose for me and I worry about heat later in the smoke. The burn is solid from the start.
The first half of the cigar settles down some, but there is still nothing to write home about.. The core profile becomes a more mundane presentation of light wood and sour grain flavors with a dry aftertaste that smacks of burning foliage. The back of the palate continues to show dry wood flavors and cedar sharpness, but there is a coffee note here that almost makes things bearable....almost. The draw continues to be too loose and some heat is coming down the flume. The burn is still solid and is the single performance vector that is right on the money.
The final half of the cigar cements for me that there are worse things than the flu. The core profile becomes hot, harsh and bitter. The flavors consist of wet ash, burnt wood and loamy earth. I struggle to think of anything that could be worse. The back of the palate shows bitter crushed aspirin flavors and leaves the throat dry and screaming for something moist. The draw was too loose all the way to the end, but the burn performed very well.
The finish was short, bitter and foul and left me feeling like I still had the flu.
Appearance- 88 a decent looking smoke
Taste- 72 really very poor
Construction- 82 nice burn, but the draw killed the cigar
Strength- 85 a middling medium
Overall- 80.25 a huge disappointment
What does any of this have to do with a cigar you may ask? Well it is two fold. First, I couldn't really smoke so there were no reviews happening for the better part of two weeks. I don't know how you all made it without my charming and witty verbal jousts to occupy your down time. Second, I threw out the question because it sets up this review so well.
The cigar in question is a reincarnation of the old Padilla Habano (if you have not smoked one you really should, they are fantastic) so I was excited to smoke this cigar. I have long been a devotee of several old Padilla blends, particularly those made by Pepin. Even some of the post Pepin blends have been first rate so I was doubly interested to smoke this new offering to see what Padilla is doing now. The smoke presents well, but it is a little bit too dry to the touch, this concerns me because dry cigars often smoke hot and bitter. The wrapper has some prominent veins, but I don't think they will cause any issues. An examination of the cigar has me concerned about a loose bunch, but I will soldier on as I always do. The pre light aroma was full of sharp wood notes with a touch of musty basement. The pre light draw was shallow and had cedar and bitter earth tones.
The cigar opens with a profile that immediately answers my question from above. Could there be anything worse than the flu? The resounding answer is yes, smoking this cigar could be worse. The core profile is bitter and and has some notes of crushed aspirin with some sour and tart wheat notes. The back of the palate and the nose show some dry wood flavors with a cedar sharpness that is off putting and funky. The draw is way too loose for me and I worry about heat later in the smoke. The burn is solid from the start.
The first half of the cigar settles down some, but there is still nothing to write home about.. The core profile becomes a more mundane presentation of light wood and sour grain flavors with a dry aftertaste that smacks of burning foliage. The back of the palate continues to show dry wood flavors and cedar sharpness, but there is a coffee note here that almost makes things bearable....almost. The draw continues to be too loose and some heat is coming down the flume. The burn is still solid and is the single performance vector that is right on the money.
The final half of the cigar cements for me that there are worse things than the flu. The core profile becomes hot, harsh and bitter. The flavors consist of wet ash, burnt wood and loamy earth. I struggle to think of anything that could be worse. The back of the palate shows bitter crushed aspirin flavors and leaves the throat dry and screaming for something moist. The draw was too loose all the way to the end, but the burn performed very well.
The finish was short, bitter and foul and left me feeling like I still had the flu.
Appearance- 88 a decent looking smoke
Taste- 72 really very poor
Construction- 82 nice burn, but the draw killed the cigar
Strength- 85 a middling medium
Overall- 80.25 a huge disappointment
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Esteban Carreras Chupacabra Toro (6x50)
The Chupacabra is a myth, a legend if you will that comes from South American folklore. The story goes that if kids don't eat their dinner, or misbehave in other ways, they will be eaten by the Chupacabra in their sleep. I like this form of child rearing, put the fear of the devil in em I say!
Anyway there is another story behind this particular cigar. Some time ago a friend of mine asked me to be part of a radio show. He had a penchant for running his mouth a little bit and I was supposed to bring a serious tone to the show. Little did anyone know, except for me, my mouth is just as large and likes to run more than most. He and I had a successful run with the show and we had fun each week taking on the cigar industry, the good and bad, with guns blazing. Alas, the time ended when he accepted a job with Esteban Carreras cigars. You should see him now! He's so corporate, with a nameplate and new haircut and glasses and a briefcase that doesn't even have a nudie mag or bottle of booze in it! I'm proud of him and he is living his dream one day at a time, we should all be so lucky. Yesterday, in the ultimate act of courage (or blind stupidity) he gave me the new cigar from the line and asked me to smoke it. This is a bold and brazen move given my history with this blog, he knows that if I think it is crap I will say so, this was a risk that only the most confident (or idiotic) of cigar people would make. Think he is ready for the review?
The cigar presents nicely, all though it has some gimmickry with an unfinished foot and a pigtail cap. I usually don't care for this kind of thing and the unfinished foot really concerns me because I have had issues lighting them in the past. However, in this case it seems appropriate for a cigar with a name as rakish as Chupacabra it should be unfinished and rough, after all it will eat you if you misbehave. The wrapper is absolute gold, so leathery and oily, it is also well applied and has few veins with a hue of well tanned cowhide. Visually it is everything you could want in a smoke, even the band is understated but elegant. The pre light aroma is floral and full of light wood notes. The pre light draw has hints of balsa wood and oatmeal.
The cigar opens with a profile that has really nice flavors, the depth is not really there as some of the flavors are a touch thin, but the overall impression is very nice. The core profile has notes of balsa wood, light oatmeal and wheat flavors and some crisp tobacco notes. The back of the palate and through the nose show nice light pepper and spice. This is medium, which is unexpected considering the name seems so evil. The draw is a little tight initially, but I chalk that up to the closed foot. The burn is right on the money and performing well.
The first half of the cigar settles into a very nice medium presentation. The core profile continues to show some balsa wood notes but there are some elements of oatmeal here as well. My only complaint is a finish that is a touch papery at this point, but it is not distracting or detrimental yet. The back of the palate continues to show some nice spice and pepper flavors but I would like a bit more punch here from either of them, it is just a little bit flat. The draw has opened up nicely and delivers a nice amount of smoke with little effort. The burn continues to impress holding a razor edge and moving nicely.
The final half of the cigar continues a nice medium pace. The core profile starts to show some more depth as the flavors transition into a more robust show of light coffee, darker wood and some spice. This is what I look for in a cigar, a nice performance in the back half always makes me so happy. The back of the palate picks up the pepper quotient nicely and results in a nice underlay to the core profile. The draw remains very solid all the way to the end and the burn performs well throughout.
The finish was smooth and full of light wood notes, there was a touch of paper here as well but it was negligible.
Appearance- 91 a nice looking cigar with some fun circuses
Taste- 89 a very solid profile that could have used more punch in some areas
Construction- 90 some early tightness in the draw, but it performed very well
Strength- 93 a very nice medium
Overall- 90.25 if every cigar I smoke this year is this good I will be a happy Czar
Anyway there is another story behind this particular cigar. Some time ago a friend of mine asked me to be part of a radio show. He had a penchant for running his mouth a little bit and I was supposed to bring a serious tone to the show. Little did anyone know, except for me, my mouth is just as large and likes to run more than most. He and I had a successful run with the show and we had fun each week taking on the cigar industry, the good and bad, with guns blazing. Alas, the time ended when he accepted a job with Esteban Carreras cigars. You should see him now! He's so corporate, with a nameplate and new haircut and glasses and a briefcase that doesn't even have a nudie mag or bottle of booze in it! I'm proud of him and he is living his dream one day at a time, we should all be so lucky. Yesterday, in the ultimate act of courage (or blind stupidity) he gave me the new cigar from the line and asked me to smoke it. This is a bold and brazen move given my history with this blog, he knows that if I think it is crap I will say so, this was a risk that only the most confident (or idiotic) of cigar people would make. Think he is ready for the review?
The cigar presents nicely, all though it has some gimmickry with an unfinished foot and a pigtail cap. I usually don't care for this kind of thing and the unfinished foot really concerns me because I have had issues lighting them in the past. However, in this case it seems appropriate for a cigar with a name as rakish as Chupacabra it should be unfinished and rough, after all it will eat you if you misbehave. The wrapper is absolute gold, so leathery and oily, it is also well applied and has few veins with a hue of well tanned cowhide. Visually it is everything you could want in a smoke, even the band is understated but elegant. The pre light aroma is floral and full of light wood notes. The pre light draw has hints of balsa wood and oatmeal.
The cigar opens with a profile that has really nice flavors, the depth is not really there as some of the flavors are a touch thin, but the overall impression is very nice. The core profile has notes of balsa wood, light oatmeal and wheat flavors and some crisp tobacco notes. The back of the palate and through the nose show nice light pepper and spice. This is medium, which is unexpected considering the name seems so evil. The draw is a little tight initially, but I chalk that up to the closed foot. The burn is right on the money and performing well.
The first half of the cigar settles into a very nice medium presentation. The core profile continues to show some balsa wood notes but there are some elements of oatmeal here as well. My only complaint is a finish that is a touch papery at this point, but it is not distracting or detrimental yet. The back of the palate continues to show some nice spice and pepper flavors but I would like a bit more punch here from either of them, it is just a little bit flat. The draw has opened up nicely and delivers a nice amount of smoke with little effort. The burn continues to impress holding a razor edge and moving nicely.
The final half of the cigar continues a nice medium pace. The core profile starts to show some more depth as the flavors transition into a more robust show of light coffee, darker wood and some spice. This is what I look for in a cigar, a nice performance in the back half always makes me so happy. The back of the palate picks up the pepper quotient nicely and results in a nice underlay to the core profile. The draw remains very solid all the way to the end and the burn performs well throughout.
The finish was smooth and full of light wood notes, there was a touch of paper here as well but it was negligible.
Appearance- 91 a nice looking cigar with some fun circuses
Taste- 89 a very solid profile that could have used more punch in some areas
Construction- 90 some early tightness in the draw, but it performed very well
Strength- 93 a very nice medium
Overall- 90.25 if every cigar I smoke this year is this good I will be a happy Czar
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Top 10 Cigars of 2012
Every January I sit and reflect on all of the cigars I smoked during the prior year and I compose my list of the 10 best. It is important to remember that I only review new cigars to the market and sometimes an aged Cuban or rare limited edition. I smoke go to cigars that I think are great everyday I don't blog them anymore, if you want to see some of those go back a couple of years and see them for yourself I have already blogged them and my go to's don't change very often.
This year yielded the fewest 90+ cigars in the history of this blog which speaks to quality and my picky tastes. It also allowed for some of the highest scores I have ever given, including the highest score I have given on this blog, this speaks to the fact that some manufacturers just get it right.
This year I will do something a little bit different and give you my honorable mention list in no particular order, these were cigars I rated very highly but that did not make the cut. They are;
San Lotano Oval Petit Robusto
Viaje Holiday Blend Petit Robusto
Rolando Reyes Limited Edition Grand Reserva Toro
Ernesto Perez Carrillo Inch #60
Without any further poppycock here are The Czar's Top 10 from 2012
10. Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sungrown Epicure (5x56) 93.25 points
9. EloGio Serie LSV Corona Extra (6x42) 93.5 points
8. Oliva Master Blends 3 Robusto (5x50) 94 points
7. Cult Classic Robusto (5x50) 94.25 points
6. L'Atelier Lat54 (5.675x54) 94.5 points
5. Paul Garmirian Symphony 20 Connoisseur (6x52) 94.75 points
4. St. Luis Rey Churchill (6.875x47) (2005 Box Date) 95.75 points
3. My Father Limited Edition Toro 2010 (6.625x52) 96.25 points
2. Partagas Lusitania (7.625x49) (Box Date 2001) 96.75 points
1. The Old Man and the C Culebra (7.5x38) 98.25 points
This year yielded the fewest 90+ cigars in the history of this blog which speaks to quality and my picky tastes. It also allowed for some of the highest scores I have ever given, including the highest score I have given on this blog, this speaks to the fact that some manufacturers just get it right.
This year I will do something a little bit different and give you my honorable mention list in no particular order, these were cigars I rated very highly but that did not make the cut. They are;
San Lotano Oval Petit Robusto
Viaje Holiday Blend Petit Robusto
Rolando Reyes Limited Edition Grand Reserva Toro
Ernesto Perez Carrillo Inch #60
Without any further poppycock here are The Czar's Top 10 from 2012
10. Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sungrown Epicure (5x56) 93.25 points
9. EloGio Serie LSV Corona Extra (6x42) 93.5 points
8. Oliva Master Blends 3 Robusto (5x50) 94 points
7. Cult Classic Robusto (5x50) 94.25 points
6. L'Atelier Lat54 (5.675x54) 94.5 points
5. Paul Garmirian Symphony 20 Connoisseur (6x52) 94.75 points
4. St. Luis Rey Churchill (6.875x47) (2005 Box Date) 95.75 points
3. My Father Limited Edition Toro 2010 (6.625x52) 96.25 points
2. Partagas Lusitania (7.625x49) (Box Date 2001) 96.75 points
1. The Old Man and the C Culebra (7.5x38) 98.25 points
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)